Emergency repairs are currently in progress following the emergence of a substantial sinkhole in Bay Ridge on Tuesday. Positioned on Sixth Avenue between 68th and Senator streets, the sinkhole spans approximately 25 feet in width and descends to a depth of 20 feet.
City officials attribute the sinkhole to the deteriorating state of the city’s infrastructure, with confirmation that a ruptured sewer line precipitated the incident earlier in the day. Eyewitness News reporters, gaining close access to the sinkhole, observed a chaotic amalgamation of twisted metal, poles, wires, and soil below ground.
To address the situation, the city had to disconnect water supplies to residences in the vicinity, and there are plans to initiate a power shutdown as well. Local residents express concern, noting that the site has undergone multiple interventions by various crews over the past few years.
Repairs underway after broken sewer line causes 20-foot-deep sinkhole in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn https://t.co/zjkLzQ8DOs pic.twitter.com/YBq26GcEut
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) January 3, 2024
Veroni Dionysiou, a Bay Ridge resident, shared her unease, stating, “Truly it’s very unsettling, especially when you live in this neighborhood, knowing it can happen right outside your house.” John Friedrich, another resident, remarked that the sinkhole’s development has been “months in the making,” emphasizing repeated patching efforts along Sixth Avenue.
Despite the extensive network of over 7,500 miles of sewer lines beneath New York City, sinkholes are typically not a consequence of line breakages. The city aims to restore water access for affected residents by bedtime, but the timeline for filling the sinkhole remains uncertain.
